I was circumcised in my late twenties to sort out phimosis.

In the UK, patients are usually offered some sort of tranquilizer in order to prevent nighttime erections.

This is something that patients do need to consider. In my case, I was offered a tranquilizer, the name of which I forget. I refused because it was known to be addictive and that was not a risk I was prepared to take.

The consequences of my decision were that I used to wake up every night at about two or three o'clock in the morning with the most excruciatingly painful and unwanted erection. It was painful to the extent that I used to dread going to sleep.

This was not something which I was warned about, but it is important to discuss with your doctor what drugs you will be given, why they are being prescribed, what side effects they have, what alternatives may be available, and what the effects of refusing certain drugs may be.

The other side of the coin, however, is that I have never regretted having the operation. It not only sorted out the physical problem, but it also did a lot for my sexual confidence, too.

Murray